Collector



s'. KRAYNICK Dec. 17, 1929. l

COLLECTOR rile-d June 17. 1927 ATTORNEY.

." rangements.

Patented Bec. 17, 1929 NETE@ STATES narrar ormai;

STEVE KRAYNICK, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HARNISCI-IFEGER COR- PORATION, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A' CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN COLLECTOR Application filed June 17,

This invention relates in general to collectors, and particularly to the type of col-- lector which is adapted for use as the main line collector of a monorail hoist, although, of course, the device is not restricted to this pai-v ticular use but is adapted for practically universal application.

As is well known, a monorail hoist usually runs upon the lower liange ot an I-beam, and in most systems of -beam tracks there are usually a number of curves. The conductor that is the runway wire or main line follows the I-beam track. Considerable diculty has been experienced because of the collectors employed in conjunction with the hoist jumping olf or' the conductor or main line. The usual type of collector employs a pair of collector wheels or contacting devices so mounted as to be able to swing horizontally to follow the conductor and also capable of swinging vertically to ride over uneven places gaps, enlargements or obstructions on the conductor. The collector wheels are urged against the conductor by spring arlVhen one of the collector wheels strikes an obstruction and is thrown away from its conductor it is very often deflected in a horizontal plane and consequently, when it is returned toward the conductor it is not in the plane of the conductor and will not engage the same, but swings up past and to one side thereof. l As the other conductor wheel is receiving the current the hoist continues to move, and the tree conductor wheel and its support is liable to and frequently does strike one ot the wire or conductor supports, resulting in breakage of the wire support, the collector or the wire or conductor, or perhaps all of these elements. To avoid this difficulty it has been proposed to use only one collector wheel with the view of stopping the movement of the hoist when the collector wheel jumps its wire or conductor. T his expedient has proven unsatisfactory for two reasons. In the first place, the monorail hoist having a certain amount of inertia, does not come to a stop imme diately after the collector wheel jumps the wire, and breakage is likely to occur, particularly it the collector jumps the wire at a 1927. Serial N0. 199,460.

point near one of the wire supports. Flhe second and more serious diiiiculty resides in the tact that the use of 'one collector wheel results in frequent blowing out of fuses and .l

burning out of the armature, because of; the tact that there are many track Switches, in the monorail system, and at each switch Jthere is a gap in the runway Wiring. When a single collector wheel passes a gap in the.

wiring there is a point where the circuit is broken, and consequently, where, the motors slow up momentarily and the counter electromotive force of the armature falls. Then, when the hoist passes the gap, full voltage is again thrown upon the motors and since the counter electroinotive force is low, excessive currents are built up in the motor cir.

cuits, thereby resulting in burnt out fuses or armatures. Of course, where a double wheel collector is used the two wheels bridge the gap, and as a result full voltage is delivered to the hoist continuously, even as it passes l the gaps in the runways wires. But the double wheel or two wheel collector `previously employed has the other disadvantages hereinabove mentioned.,` l

An object of the present invention is to provide a double wheel collector having the two wheels so controlled and' co-ordinated in their movements as to preclude in a practical sense thejumping of either wheel off of the runway wire or collector. In this way all or" the advantages and none of the disadvantages ot the twowheel type of collector are realized. In carrying out the present invention the collector wheels are so mounted as tov Abe movable in alvertical plane toward and away from the runway wire, but are so constrained in their movements horizontally zontal movement relative to each other as is necessary to permit the collector to round a curve, but under all circumstances one wheel tends to and does hold the other in vertical alinement with the runway wire. In other words, one wheel steers the other.

Another object is to provide a device of this character having these advantages and capacities, and which is of simple and durable construction, reliable and eective in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specilication, and in which:

' Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a collector embodying the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a t0n plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 with one of the collector'wheels, its carrier and spring arrangement removed to show the underlying parts.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates insulating bushings adapted to be supported on nionorail hoist and having insulating flanges 2 at their inner ends. On these bushings 1 a bracket 3 rests and is clamped in position by clamps 4.

At the ends of the bracket 3, posts 5 and 6 are provided, the posts 5 and 6 extending vertically and upwardly from the bracket and having their lower ends fixed thereto. Horizontally swingable 'supports designated generally at 7 and 8 are provided, the supports 7 and 8 having sleeve-like bearing portions 9 and 10 rotatably fitted on the posts 5 and 6 respectively. The lower ends of the sleeve-like bearing portions 9 and 1() engage the bracket 3, and their upper ends terminate just below the upper ends of the posts. For the purpose of preventing upward displace- .ment of the supports 7 and 8 and for limiting their rotary movement on these posts, cross pins 11 and 12 are carried by the posts 5 and 6 respectively, the ends of the cross pins projecting beyond the posts and being received in arcuate grooves or notches 13 and 14 formed Vin the upper ends of the sleevelike bearing portions 9 and 10.

Integral with the vert-ical sleeve-like bearing portions 9 and l() are transversely eX- tending horizontal bearings 15 and 16, and these bearings 15 and 16 receive short shafts 17 and 18 on which carrier levers 19 and 2O 19 and 20 may be loosely mounted on the shafts 17 and 18, and the shafts 17 and 18 pinned as at 21 to their supporting bearings. As

illustrated in Figure 2, the levers .19 and 20 are of identical construction, and each includes side bars 22, an end bar 23 integral with the side bars, and a cross bar 24 also integral with the side bars and with a web 25 integral with the side bars and merging' thereinto as illustrated in Figure 2. The portions of the side bars 22 adjacent the end bars 23 are pivoted to the shafts 17 and 18, and this locates the openings of the levers to accommodate freely the bearing portions 9 and 10 of the supports. The portions of the side bars 22 of the levers 19 and 20 which project beyond the cross bars 24 thereof are apertured to receive pintles 26, and on the pintles 26 'collector wheels 27 and 28 are rotatably mounted. rlhe collector wheels have peripheral grooves 29 formed with beveled or inclined side walls 30 as illustrated in Figure 2. Grease cups 31 may be provided for the bearing portions of the collector wheels, the grease cups supplying the grease or lubricant to the usual grooves and passages of the pintles 26.

For the purpose of urging the collector wheels 27 and 28 into engagement with the runway wire or conductor a spring arrangement is associated with each of the levers 19 and 2O and their respective supports 7 and 8. Each spring arrangement has a bolt 31 formed at one end with an eye pivotally connected as at 32 to its lever. Each bolt 31 is loosely extended through an aperture formed in a lug 33 integral with or otherwise suitably connected to the associated support 7 or 8 as the case may be. A compression coil spring 34 encircles each bolt 31 below the associated lug 33, the upper end of each spring engaging the associated lug 33, and the lower end of each spring engaging a cup shaped Washer 35 held inadjusted position on its bolt 31 by nuts 36. The springs 34 are tensioned to swing the levers 19 and 2O in such manner as to cause the collector wheels 27 and 28 to engage the runway wire. The movement of each bolt 31 downwardly is limited by stop nuts 37 threaded on each bolt 31 and engageable with the associated lug 33.

With the arrangement described and shown, the collector wheels 27 and 28 are independently movable in a vertical plane toward and away from the runway wire. This permits the trolley wheels to ride over raised portions or uneven places on the wire as is desirable. At times when either one of these wheels strikes an uneven place in the runway wire, the collector wheel with its lever is rocked, the collect-or wheel moving away from the runway wire in some instances. The frequent tendency under such circumstances is for the displaced collector wheel to be deflected laterally, but with the present invention lateral deflection is precluded because the supports 7 and 8 are interconnected to constrain the levers 19 and 20 to swing in substantially the same vertical plane. As illustrated in the drawings, this connection is eftected by arms 40 and 41, the arm 4() being integral with or otherwise rigidly connected to the sleeve-like bearing portion 9 of the support 7, and the arm 4l being similarly associated with the sleeve-like bearing portion 10 of the support 8. The arms 40 and 4l extend toward each other and are offset downwardly to clear the collector wheels 27 and 28. The adjacent ends of the arms 40 and 41 overlap and are interconnected by a pin and slot connection made up of a pin 42 carried by the arm 4l and operatively fitted in a slot 43 formed in the arm 40. As illustrated in Figure 2, the arms 40 and 41 are also oiiset in a horizontal plane. rIhis permits proper movements of the arms 40 and 4l when rounding a curve, and precludes engagement of the arms with the adjacent portions of the hoist 'despite the slight clearance available. The pin and slot connection between the arms 40 and 4l permits the collector wheels 2'? and 28 to angle slightly as is necessary in rounding a curve, but the connection between the supports tor the collector wheels aorded by the arms 40 and 41 and their pin and slot connection constrains the collector wheels against free or uncontrolled lateral deiiection relative i to each other. rlhus, it either oi ene collector wheels strikes an obstruction and jumps away from the runway wire, it cannot move laterally, because it is held against lateral movement or deflection by the other collector wheel which engages the runway wire and exerts its control through the arms 40 and41. As the wheel that jumps away from the runway cannot be laterally deflected, its reengagement with the runway wire is insured as it is immediately returned under the action of its spring 34.

rlhe invention claimed is:

l. A collector of the character described comprising a plurality of contacting devices, means tor mechanically connecting and sup porting said devices in such manner as to permit them to be laterally movable with respect thereto to follow the path oi a conductor, and means for constraining the contacting devices to partake of corresponding movement with.

respect to said connecting and supporting means.

2. A collector` ot the character described comprising a pair or" contacting devices, in tandem, means for mechanically connecting said devices and means for constraining them to partake of corresponding lateral movement with respect to said connecting means.

8. A collector of' the character described comprising a mounting racket, swingable supports mounted on the bracket, means for interconnecting said supports to constrain them to partake ot corresponding movement, contact carriers rockably mounted on the supports, and contacting devices mounted on said contact carriers.

4. A collector o the character described comprising a mounting bracket, horizontally swingable supports mounted on said bracket, an arm lined to each support and extending toward the other support, the adjacent ends of the arms overlapping, a pin and slot connection between the overlapping ends, vertically roclrable contact carriers mounted on the supports, and contacting devices mounted on said contact carriers.

5. A collector ot the charac-ter described comprising horizontally swingable supports, means tor interconnecting said supports to constrainthem to partake of corresponding movement, contact carrier levers pivoted to said supports-for rockable movement in a vertical plane, contacting devices mounted on said levers, and spring means coacting with said levers to urge the contacting devices toward a conductor.

6. A collector ot the character described comprising a plurality7 of contacting devices, .iountings for supporting said contacting devices ior rocking movement in two planes, and means tor constraining said contacting devices to corresponding movement in one oit' said planes.

7. A collector of the character described comprising` a plurality or" contacting devices, mountings tor supporting said contacting devices or rocking movement in two planes, and interconnected arms associated with said mountings Ytor constraining the contacting devices to corresponding movement in one of planes.

8. A collector ot the character described comprising aplurality of contacting devices, mountings tor supporting said contacting devices tor rocking` movement in two planes, an arm connected to each mounting, said arms overlapping, and a pin and slot connection between the overlapping portions of the arms.

9. A collector oi the character described comprising a mounting bracket, posts on the mounting bracket, horizontally swingable supports having bearings fitted on the posts, levers ulcrumed on the supports for rocking movement in a vertical plane, contacting devices mounted on said levers, spring means coactingwith the levers and with the supports for urging the contacting devices toward a conductor, and means 'for constraining the supports to partake of corresponding move ment.

l0. A collector ci the character described comprising a mounting` bracket, posts on the mountingT bracket, horizontally sivingable supports having bearings fitted on the posts, means tor limiting the swinging movement ot the supports, levers ulcrumed on the supports for rocking` movement in a vertical plane, contacting devices mounted on said levers, spring means coacting with the levers and with the supports for urging the contacting devices toward a conductor, and means for constraining` the supports to partake of corresponding movement.

ll. A collector of the character described comprising a mounting bracket, posts on the mounting bracket, horizontally swingable supports having bearings fitted on the posts, levers fulcrumed on the supports for rocking movement in a vertical. plane, contacting` devices mounted on said levers, spring means coactingvvith the levers and with the supe ports for urging the contacting devices toward a conductor, and interconnected arms associated with said supports for constraining them to partake of corresponding movements.

l2. A collector of the character described comprising' a mounting bracket, posts on the mounting bracket, horizontal-1157 swingable supports having bearings litted on the posts, levers ulcrumed on the supports for rocking movement in a vertical plane, contacting devices mounted on said levers, spring means coacting With the levers and With the supports for urging the contacting devices toward a conductor, and interconnected arms associated with said supports for constraining them to partake of corresponding movements, said arms being offset outwardly.

13. A main line collector for monorail hoists comprising` a pair of contacting devices, means fer urging the contacting devices toward the main line While permitting independent movement of the contacting devices in the plane of the main line, means for permitting the contacting devices to move horizontally to follow the horizontal displacements of the main line, and means for constraining the contacting devices to corresponding movement in a horizontal plane.

14. A collector comprising a pair of Contacting devices independent-ly movable toward and avvay from a conductor, and means `for constraining either contacting devices When displaced from the conductor against lateral deflection relative to the other.

l5. A collector comprising a pair of contacting devices, means for supporting the contacting devices for independent movement toward and away from the conductor and for movement horizontally to permit the collector to round a curve, and a steering connection between the contacting devices to cause one contacting device to steer and to hold the other against uncontrolled lateral deflection. v

In Witness whereof, l hereto aiiiX my signature.

STEVE KRAYNICK. 

